Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney acquire stake in Alpine F1 team

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, owners of Wrexham Football Club, have joined an investor group to acquire a 24% equity stake in the Formula 1 team Alpine.

Renault, the parent company of Alpine, announced on Monday that the two Hollywood actors are investing alongside Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners.

The deal involves a 200 million euros (£171 million) investment in Alpine Racing, which values the Britain-based company at £706 million.

Currently, Alpine holds the fifth position in the constructors' championship in this year's F1 season.

Reynolds and McElhenney took over Wrexham in 2021, and the Welsh club achieved promotion back to the Football League after a 15-year absence by winning the National League title in April.

RedBird Capital Partners, a US investment firm, is known for its investments in sports entities such as Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Premier League team Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox baseball team. They also acquired Italian Serie A club AC Milan in a 1.2 billion euro deal in August 2022 and hold a controlling stake in French Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

Laurent Rossi, the chief executive of Alpine, expressed that this partnership is a significant step to enhance the team's performance at all levels. He also mentioned that the investment will contribute to boosting Alpine's media profile, ultimately supporting their long-term performance in the world of Formula 1.

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